Knitting machine cylinder



p 1950 I P. s'r. PIERRE I 2,522,972

KNITTING MACHINE CYLINDER Filed June 24, 1948 'atente Sept. 19, 95

KNITTING MACHINE CYLINDER Paul L. St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 24, 1948, Serial No. 34,900

1 Claim. (Cl. 66-115) This invention relates to the cylinder of a circular, independent needle knitting machine and, particularly, to the upper cylinder of a knitting machine of the co-axial, superposed cylinder type in which the needle slots of the two cylinders are in alignment and in which there is a space of greater or lesser extent between the upper edge of the lower cylinder and the lower edge of the upper cylinder.

In machines of this type the spacing of the two cylinders has generally been such that the needles even when working in the lower cylinder enter the upper cylinder slots. Also, in all machines of this type needles are at times transferred from one cylinder to the other. Under both of these conditions, trouble has frequently resulted from the tendency of two adjacent needles to attempt to crowd into the same needle slot of the upper cylinder with resultant jamming, smashes etc. The object of this invention is to eliminate or greatly reduce the possibility of such a happening. The invention involves a modification of the construction of the lower part of the upper cylinder as shown in the drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section of an upper cylinder modified in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view also partly in cross-section of a ring adapted to be fitted into the lower end of the cylinder of Fig. 1 so as to become a fixed part thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of a fragment of the lower end of the cylinder of Fig. 1 showing the manner in which the lower ends of the needle slots are bevelled;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary View of the lower end of the ring of Fig. 2 illustrating the manner in which the lower ends of the needle slots therein are bevelled;

Fig. 5 is a section through the left wall of the ring of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similar section through the left wall of the cylinder of Fig. 1 and through the corresponding wall of ring 6, the cylinder and ring being fitted together; and

Fig. 7 is a plan View looking up of a part of ring 6.

Asshown in Fig. 1, cylinder l is provided with the usual needle slots 2 formed by walls 3. As

shown in Fig. 3, the lower ends of these walls 3 are bevelled downwardly and outwardly as shown at 4 and 5 so that in efiect the lower ends of each slot 2 is correspondingly widened.

The lower end of the cylinder l terminates in a ring 6 which may be integral with the cylinder or be soldered or otherwise securely attached to it, as shown in Fig. 6. In the periphery of ring 6 are slots 'I formed by walls 8 which slots are in alignment With slots 2 of cylinder I but are much shallower as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. As a typical example, slots 2 of cylinder l might be .152" deep and slots 'l of ring 6 might be .029" deep.

The lower ends of the ring walls 8 are bevelled outwardly and downwardly as shown at 9 and |0 in Fig. 4-a construction similar to that of the cylinder proper as shown in Fig. 3. In addition, the walls 8 on either side of each slot 'I of ring 6 are bevelled outwardly as shown at l l and !2 in Figs. 4 and 7 and the lower end of the back wall of each slot is also bevelled inwardly as shown at l3 and l4. This Construction is also shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

When needles project from the lower cylinder sufliciently to engage ring E, theoretically each needle will enter its individual intended shallow slot 1. However, it sometimes happens that an adjacent needle is out of line and attempts to enter the same slot at the same time. This tendency would be aggravated by the bevels 5 and o which enlarge the lower ends of the slots 'l of ring E were it not for the fact that slots 'I are so shallow that it is impossible for two needles both to remain in the same slot. One or the other will be forced out and this is almost certain tobe the intruding needle which, since it is out of line, is subject to forces tending to realign it. consequently, the other needle which is correctly in the slot is much more likely to stay there than the intruding needle. For all practical purposes, this cylinder construction insures that each needle will enter the correct slot 2 of the upper cylinder l and a source of very considerable trouble is thereby substantially eliminated. The bevels 4, 5 and o, ll insure that the needles will not strike the ends of the ring or cylinder if they become slightly misaligned but will enter the slots and the Construction of the ring described above insures that only the intended needle Will enter each cylinder slot.

2,522,972 3 I claim: REFERENCES CITED An upper cyinder for circular' independent The following references are of record in the needle, knitting machine of the type having sume of this patent: perposed co-axial needle cylinders and needles which includes a, main cylinder portion having 5 UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS needle Slots of conventional depth* and a rela- Number Name Date tively short extension at the bottom thereof pro- 223,'710 Cornfield Jan. 20, 1880 vded with needle Slots aligned with the Slots 423244: Harley et al. Mar. 11, 1890 of the main cylinder portion and of a depth of '764,607 Lasher July 12, 1904 not more than of the depth of the slots of the 10 1,441,592 La Montagne Jan. 9, 1923 main cylinder portion. 2154384 Richter Apr. 11, 1939 PAUL L. ST. PIERRE. 2,276,972 Holmes Mar. 17, 1942 

